Exclusive: The National Live Music Awards are coming to Australia

Australia will receive the inauguralNational Live Music Awards in November as part of ARIA Week, TMN can exclusively reveal.

The brainchild of the AU review founding editor Larry Heath and a board of still-to-be-named music industry figures, the Awards will celebrate the best in live music in Australia on November 29 in Sydney. A run of free sister events around the country will take place on the same night.

Awards will be presented to both individual musicians and groups, alongside venues, events and members of the industry who champion live music.

The official website has launched at nlmas.com.aualong with a Facebook page here. The website offers only the aforementioned details of the inaugural Awards, along with contact details for those interesting in discussing sponsorship opportunities for the event.

Larry Heath told TMN the Awards were created to change the current discussion about local live music and to recognise the sector which generates $1.5 – $2 billion annually.

“The National Live Music Awards has come about to do two things,” said Heath. “Firstly, fill a gap in the industry which to date hasn’t found a way to regularly recognise the part of the industry that now generates the majority of income for most artists – and as a by-product, the incomes of thousands who work in the industry.

“And secondly, to put a positive light on the Australian live scene, which is one of the strongest, most vibrant and successful in the world, generating billions of dollars in ticket sales every year. But all we ever hear about is decline, lock out laws, the end of a festival. We want to encourage positive discussion of the live music scene and give it the recognition it deserves.”

More information will be drip-fed to the public via TMN later in the year.